MPs Expenses

'I followed the rules', appears to be the stock excuse. It is very sad that this appears to have replaced 'I did the right thing' as the standard for our elected representatives. Of course not every MP has been taking the mickey out of the taxpayers by getting us to pay for their lifestyles and property deals, but enough have to tarnish the whole institution of parliament. At the moment it is the Labour party getting it in the neck via the press leaking of their historic expenses claims, but one suspects that the odd Conservative is going to pop up as having crossed the line of probity as well. Even so, such things tend to damage the governing party more. After all they are in charge, both of the county and in parliament where, by definition, they have a majority. Certainly the polls make grim reading for Labour on the back of this with a poll in the Mail on Sunday gving CON 45%(nc), LAB 23%(-3), LDEM 17%(nc). The UK Polling Report suggests that this equals Labour's lowest poll rating ever.